Obesity in midlife has been linked to an increased risk of developing dementia later in life, as reported by Science Alert. While dementia charities stress the importance of maintaining a healthy weight to promote brain health, some studies suggest that obesity may actually have a protective effect against dementia.
The connection between obesity and dementia is complex and not fully understood. One of the challenges in studying this relationship is the lack of clear cause-and-effect evidence. Conducting a randomized trial to determine the effects of obesity on dementia risk would be unethical, leading researchers to rely on observational studies that follow large groups of people over time.
However, there are two common concerns with these studies: reverse causation and confounding bias. Reverse causation occurs when early signs of dementia cause weight loss, not the other way around. Confounding bias arises when a third factor related to both obesity and dementia could be influencing the observed relationship.
Recent research has suggested that lower childhood intelligence may be a factor that influences both obesity and cognitive decline in middle-aged adults, highlighting the complexity of understanding this link. Despite this, it is important to maintain a healthy weight for overall health, but further research is needed to unravel the complexities of this connection between obesity and dementia risk.